Judith Schaechter to deliver GlassWeekend 2013 keynote

Judith Schaechter photographed at the opening of her 2012 Eastern State Penitentiary installation in Philadelphia. photo: glass quarterly

GlassWeekend, a biennial event at WheatonArts in Millville, New Jersey, that raises funds for The Creative Glass Center of America Fellowship Program at WheatonArts, is gearing up for its 2013 edition on June 7th, 8th, and 9th. The three-day event that draws some of the field’s biggest artists and collectors to this important outpost of glass will feature exhibitions, lectures, hands-on glassmaking, demonstrations and opportunities to socialize in an informal setting, just 45 minutes from Philadelphia. In the 30 years since its founding, the CGCA has awarded 340 fellowships to emerging and mid-career artists, from the U.S. and 26 other countries, and it remains a life- and career-changing experience for those artists selected for this unique opportunity to experiment and develop work within a supportive and collaborative environment. Judith Schaechter will deliver the event’s keynote address, and Beth Lipman, Davide Salvadore, and Hiroshi Yamano are the star glass artists who will pack the attendees into the CGCA’s studio for demonstrations.

Appropriately for an organization that fosters career development, GlassWeekend also features artists in its “Rising Stars” series. For 2013, they have assembled an impressive roster of a new wave of glass practitioners at various levels of “emergence” that includes Dean Allison, Amber Cowan, Michael Crowder, Andrew Erdos, Slate Grove, Benjamin Johnson, Carmen Lozar, and Harry Pollitt. Various glass collector groups from around the country sponsor these individual artists’ attendance at GlassWeekend.

The Rising Stars of Glass Weekend 2013

The Museum of American Glass, another program in the WheatonArts organization, will be showcasing an exhibition entitled “Wheaton Glass: The Art of the Fellowship,” that invited former fellows to submit work in this show that celebrates the 30-year milestone of the CGCA fellowship. Curated by Tina Aufiero, acting artistic director at Pilchuck Glass School; and Diane Wright, director of marketing at Pilchuck; it includes work from 45 former fellows ranging from James Harmon (1983, 1988) to Josiah McElheney (1992, 1995) to Deborah Czeresko (2006, 2010).

More artwork will be on display at the 13 galleries from the U.S. and Canada that will be exhibiting and selling artwork during the three-day event. Panel discussions and lectures will round out the event.

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